


The Commander, the Chief and the What, Now?

by dancingcrane



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 09:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4872031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingcrane/pseuds/dancingcrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>About black and white...and other things?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Commander, the Chief and the What, Now?

Commander Jane Shepard entered the medical bay, and made a beeline towards the chief engineer, still sitting on the edge of the med table. He made a last 'don't-abandon-me' look at the vanishing back of the medic, before saluting the last person he wanted to see.  
"Look chief, DC needs to know if we're looking at a malfunction or possible sabotage. You have to tell me what you saw. Leave nothing out."  
"Not sure as I can ma'am." The chief dropped his eyes, scrubbing a sweaty calloused hand across the back of his neck. He didn't want to talk about this, and knew what that looked like. Like stalling. A prep for a lie. He swallowed, and started with what was easiest.  
"Um, well now. I was working on the shuttle here. Pilot's panel had taken some damage, and I'd opened her up, just sussing out the source. The 'splosion was surprise enough. Enough to knock me clear back and down, m'am. Without the safety," he pointed a thick forefinger at his temple. "Would've been blinded for sure."  
He hesitated, scrubbing at his neck again, and over his gingery buzz cut.  
"Go on."  
"That's just it m'am, not sure I - "  
Exasperation was clear in her voice. "Chief, I saw you after the Collectors. You weren't rattled then, nearly as much. Why now? Spit it out."  
His eyes looked back in appeal, first, and then resignation. ...Going to lose his job after this. A psych eval and the boot, no help for it...  
"Well, m'am. Was laid out, ear to floor, m'am, eyes seein' all blue. A barrier musta caught me, yeah. But there, not inches from m'nose, a wee beastie. I was salutin', Lor' knows why, but was in uniform, e 'was. And bluey paws and all, 'twas the wee one doing it, just him an' me about, no one else. Not'a load a'shite, m'am, 'struth!"  
His accent was usually not this bad, nor his diction. At the commander's stern look, he stopped and tried to regain composure.  
"Y'must unner'stand m'am. I know Collectors are real, m'am, and shuttles and 'splosions. I know what is and isn't. I deal w'black and white, that's m'job. I just...I dinnae know what to do with...with...brown, m'am."


End file.
